Wanted Part Two

Okay... so since I left you all on that lovely cliffhanger last week, have a chappie!


Warning: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FOR RACE TO THE EDGE!


Chapter Two
Snatched Away


The ground was rocking. Odd, Hiccup thought dully, his thoughts still muddled and confused. He opened his eyes, but still saw only blackness. Of course- a blindfold. That explained not being able to see. His hands were bound behind his back, but his legs, thankfully, were free, so he should be able to escape from here still.


Of course, that didn't answer the question of exactly where 'here' was.


"He-hello?" he called tentatively. "Is... is anyone there?"


"Berthel!" cried a gruff voice from somewhere in front of him. "The kid's awake. Quick, knock 'im out again!"


Hiccup heard footsteps rapidly approaching, and shrank back against the wall. "I- I wouldn't do that if I were you!" he warned.


The footsteps halted. "Why?" asked a new voice, this one higher-pitched.


"Be-because you might accidentally kill me, and Viggo wants me alive?" Hiccup replied, mentally kicking himself for stuttering at a time like this. His words, hurriedly thought of and blurted out without hesitation, ended up sounding more like a question. Blasted blindfold. He couldn't even see to tell if the two men were considering his words.


After a long pause, the first man grunted. "Is that what the poster says, Berthel?"


"Er- I dunno, Amos," said the second voice.


The first man, (Amos, apparently) let out a sigh. "Check the poster, ya dummy!"


"Um... I lost the poster."


Amos let out a low, exasperated growl. "Ya had one job, Berthel! One job! Hold the poster!"


"Holding things isn't my strong suit!" protested Berthel. "...you know that," he finished after a brief pause, sounding depressed.


Hiccup heard footsteps again and stiffened, but then his blindfold was yanked down off his eyes. Flinching as the light hit his eyes, he blinked rapidly as his eyes adjusted to it.


Before him stood a heavyset, balding man. He had an unpleasant smirk on his face as he towered over Hiccup. "Maybe we'll knock you out later," he spat. "'Course, where you'll be going, you might want to be awake."


Hiccup cringed at the foul smell of Amos's breath. "...Or," he began hopefully, "You might just let me go. See, as you might have noticed back in Berk, I have a lot of dragon-riding friends. They'll come for me." He smirked at the fear that flickered across his captor's face.


"Remember the girl on the Nadder?"


"The one screamin' at the top of 'er lungs and wavin' an axe?" Inquired Berthel curiously. The taller man, who Hiccup now realized had two hooks instead of hands, looked confused.


"That's the one."


"What about 'er?"demanded Amos.


"That's Astrid Hofferson," Hiccup finished. "She's my girlfriend. She tends to be a little... well, vengeful when people try to kidnap me. You should've seen what happened to the last person who was after me. Poor guy was never the same." He tapped the side of his head suggestively.


"He's bluffin'," declared Amos.


Hiccup shrugged and fell silent. Of course he was bluffing. Not about Astrid, of course, but about his friends coming to save him. They had no idea where he was. Since he hadn't told them about the bounty, they had no clue who had captured him or why.


He sighed softly, then froze as he heard something hit the deck above.
Amos and Berthel stood stock-still as they listened. Then they both drew their axes and charged up the stairs to the main deck, leaving Hiccup alone.


"Okay, I've got to get out of here, now," he muttered softly. Scanning his surroundings, he realized he was in the cargo hold of a ship. It was almost completely empty except for a few crates and boxes stacked in the corner. "Nothing useful there," he sighed.


He needed something sharp… he glanced down, wondering if by any chance he still had his dagger. But his weapons were gone, of course.


He scanned the hold a second time. At this point, he would take anything even remotely useful.


…There! A rusty, bent nail was jutting out from the wall- why it was there, he had no idea and honestly didn't care. Still listening to the banging sounds from the deck above him, he scooted clumsily over to the nail, hooking it with the ropes that bound his hands. Quickly, he began to use the edge of the nail to saw at the fibers of the rope.


He had just finished cutting the last strand when he heard shouting from the main deck. It sounded like… a fight? His friends were here; somehow they had figured out where he was, he would be free within moments… He disentangled himself from the rope and stood up, moaning softly as his cramped muscles protested the movement.


He could hear the fighting on deck- his friends were here; he could imagine Astrid screaming out her battle cry as she took out the men who had kidnapped him… He just needed to get up there, let his friends know he was still here.


"I'm down here!" he cried hoarsely. "Guys, I'm down—" His voice was abruptly cut off by another.


"Oh, I know yer 'ere, 'Iccup," growled the newcomer.


Hiccup's blood ran cold. Only one person had ever called him that, drawled his name that way. His heart sank as he saw the figure at the top of the stairs. "…No," he choked out. "No!"


"Well, I'm hurt, 'Iccup!" mocked Alvin the Treacherous, stepping menacingly towards him.


"I thought we was friends."


Hiccup took a step backward. "So did I," he snapped. "Alvin- you signed a treaty with Berk, we agreed to a truce! Why turn on us now?"


The huge Outcast sighed, descending the stairs. "Well, you see, 'Iccup," he began, starting to circle the boy, "Ya really shouldn't trust a Viking with 'The Treacherous' in 'is name. I'm known for betrayin' people." He took a step closer to the dragon rider, and Hiccup shuddered.


"You won't get away with this," he hissed. "You know Stoick won't take kindly to you kidnapping me again. And before you ask, I'm not training your dragons."


Alvin feigned an innocent look. "Why, 'Iccup, ya didn't even listen to what I had to say." He grinned savagely at the cornered Viking. "I know better than ta try gettin' ya to train me dragons. No, this time I'm out fer revenge. I know about you and them Dragon Hunters; seems like they'd take good care of ya if only you was in their clutches. And besides, I can always use a little extra gold in ma' pocket."


Hiccup swallowed nervously. "Gee Alvin, since when are you a bounty hunter?"


Alvin grinned. "'Bout ten seconds, 'Iccup."


Then he lunged.


Hiccup ducked as the burly Outcast's fist came hurtling towards his face; he scrambled out of the way as Alvin spun, drawing his huge axe as he did so. Hiccup looked around for a weapon, but he only had his prosthetic and the ropes that had previously bound him.


Hmm… he had an idea.


He snatched up the ropes, just as Alvin once more charged towards him. Quickly finding himself flat on his back, Hiccup lifted the rope as Alvin's axe came plummeting down towards his face.


--------------




So.... after leaving you with yet another cliffhanger...... please leave a comment!


-Elena